Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse – How KONAMI and Evil Empire Reimagined Castlevania’s Return

It appears weird to say it, however there hasn’t been a brand-new Castlevania sport for greater than a decade and – for the sequence’ long-awaited return – KONAMI made a alternative which will shock some followers. It’s entrusting considered one of its most iconic franchises to French studio Evil Empire, greatest recognized for its work on Lifeless Cells, together with the acclaimed Return to Castlevania DLC.

Set throughout the distinctive environment of the Chapelle Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc in Paris’ 14th arrondissement, members of the press had been invited for a primary hands-on have a look at Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. The venue proved significantly becoming, as the sport itself opens in a darkish, gothic interpretation of the French capital. Following our preview session, we sat down with Tsutomu Taniguchi (Producer at KONAMI) and Emmanuel Nouaille (Artistic Director at Evil Empire) to debate how this new chapter within the Castlevania saga got here to life.

A Collaboration That Began as a Tribute

Earlier than Belmont’s Curse, Evil Empire had already collaborated with KONAMI on Return to Castlevania, the celebrated Lifeless Cells DLC. On the time, nothing recommended that this partnership would ultimately result in the event of a brand-new entry within the Castlevania sequence.

Based on Tsutomu Taniguchi, KONAMI’s resolution to proceed working with the French studio got here down to 2 key elements: “The primary is Evil Empire’s ardour for Castlevania. The second is their experience in motion video games. Castlevania has at all times been an motion sequence, so it was important that the controls, gameplay, and general really feel lived as much as gamers’ expectations.”

Past their ardour for the franchise, KONAMI was in search of a staff able to understanding what defines Castlevania whereas additionally mastering the calls for of contemporary motion sport design.

Emmanuel Nouaille, nonetheless, receives these compliments with humility. Smiling, he admits it nearly feels presumptuous to reply after Taniguchi’s reward earlier than summarizing what, in his view, finally made the distinction: “Our greatest résumé was merely our work.”

Initially, Evil Empire had solely proposed making a DLC as a tribute to Castlevania. It was via ongoing conversations with KONAMI that the collaboration progressively advanced into one thing way more bold.

Past the studio’s technical experience, the partnership additionally allowed each groups to construct a robust relationship of belief. With Return to Castlevania creating beneath significantly optimistic circumstances, working collectively once more on a bigger venture grew to become the pure subsequent step.

Nouaille illustrates that belief with a memorable anecdote: “Once we completed the DLC, Tsutomu Taniguchi visited the studio to play it. As he explored the fortress, he found a number of particulars and Easter eggs he hadn’t seen earlier than. Then he merely rotated and gave us a thumbs up.” A easy gesture—however one which left an enduring impression on the staff.

For Nouaille, that was in all probability the second he realized this collaboration may grow to be far more than a one-off.

Defining What Castlevania Is

For Taniguchi and Nouaille alike, every thing started with the identical query: What really makes a Castlevania sport? It seems like an apparent query. But bringing again considered one of KONAMI’s most iconic franchises proved way more complicated than it first appeared.

As Nouaille explains: “Castlevania means one thing completely different to everybody. All of us grew up with completely different video games, completely different characters, and completely different recollections. Earlier than we may construct a brand new sport, we first needed to agree on the core pillars that outline Castlevania.”

Taniguchi shares that perspective, explaining that each fan has a special relationship with the sequence. KONAMI’s function was due to this fact to determine a standard inventive framework—one that might protect Castlevania’s identification whereas giving Evil Empire the liberty to precise its personal imaginative and prescient.

Earlier than introducing a brand new protagonist, a brand new story, or new gameplay techniques, each groups targeted on establishing these foundations. The sport needed to stay a 2D action-exploration expertise, match throughout the official Castlevania canon, and preserve the Vampire Killer whip on the coronary heart of its gameplay. As soon as these rules had been agreed upon, KONAMI intentionally gave the French studio appreciable inventive freedom.

That freedom, nonetheless, was by no means a clean examine. As Nouaille explains, modernizing Castlevania by no means meant turning its again on the franchise’s legacy. Each new concept needed to develop from one of many sequence’ defining pillars earlier than being tailored to the expectations of immediately’s gamers.

The whip is maybe the clearest instance. As considered one of Castlevania’s most iconic symbols, it was a non-negotiable ingredient. Reasonably than reinventing it, Evil Empire selected to develop its function in each fight and traversal. The aim was to make gamers really feel like agile, highly effective vampire hunters able to utilizing the whip as naturally to maneuver via the world as they do to defeat their enemies.

The identical philosophy formed the sport’s general pacing. The staff needed a sooner, extra energetic journey whereas making exploration extra demanding via traps, environmental hazards, and more and more inventive makes use of of the whip. Modernizing Castlevania was by no means about simplifying its gameplay—it was about increasing the participant’s potentialities whereas preserving the sense of development that has at all times outlined the sequence.

That very same strategy extends to the narrative. Whereas persevering with the story after Dracula’s Curse and Curse of Darkness, Belmont’s Curse additionally introduces a brand-new heroine, Rose, who naturally finds her place throughout the established Castlevania universe. She’s an extension of the lore, not a random offshoot from it.

Working inside this framework, Evil Empire was capable of convey its personal sensibilities to the venture by setting the journey in Paris and enriching its world with quite a few historic references. Greater than a licensed manufacturing, Belmont’s Curse grew to become the results of an ongoing dialogue between KONAMI and the French studio. As Nouaille places it, “This wasn’t a work-for-hire venture. It was a real inventive collaboration.”

A Philosophy Felt from the First Minutes

All of these inventive selections shortly grow to be obvious as soon as the controller is in your fingers. Reasonably than merely updating the system, Belmont’s Curse goals to evolve the sequence’ gameplay whereas preserving the foundations which have outlined Castlevania for many years. Character animations, visible results, sound design, and the influence of each assault all contribute to creating fight really feel extra dynamic, readable, and satisfying with out ever shedding the unmistakable identification of the franchise.

The whip’s versatility naturally encourages gamers to revisit beforehand explored areas seeking hidden paths whereas making motion really feel significantly extra fluid. Taniguchi confirms that increasing the whip’s function was one of many staff’s major objectives: “The whip stays true to Castlevania’s identification, however we needed to provide it a brand new dimension.”

The choice to set the journey in Paris additionally reinforces the sport’s distinctive identification. Throughout our hands-on session, landmarks comparable to Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Catacombs appeared alongside references to a number of French areas, serving to create a setting that feels genuine moderately than merely ornamental.

In the meantime, the steadiness between exploration and fight shortly feels intuitive, supported by a putting artwork course, atmospheric soundtrack, and fastidiously crafted sound design that instantly evoke the unmistakable spirit of Castlevania.

A New Chapter, Not Only a Tribute

Whereas a lot stays to be found, Nouaille is fast to level out that the model offered to us represents solely a small glimpse of the complete journey: “What you’ve seen immediately is barely the start of the journey. When you attain the fortress, every thing modifications. We hope gamers can be stunned by the sport’s new construction, but additionally by its characters, its story, and all of the secrets and techniques ready to be uncovered.”

All through our dialog, one concept got here up repeatedly: Belmont’s Curse was by no means conceived as a easy tribute to Castlevania. KONAMI first outlined the sequence’ important foundations earlier than permitting Evil Empire to construct upon them with its personal inventive sensibilities. Someplace between these two visions, a real partnership emerged—one which seems to have formed each main resolution all through improvement.

For Emmanuel Nouaille, one explicit reminiscence completely captures that philosophy. It wasn’t a spectacular boss combat or a serious story sequence, however one thing a lot less complicated.

As improvement progressed, the animations, visible results, iconic creatures, music, and sound design progressively gave the venture its personal identification. But the true turning level got here when he instinctively opened the map to mark areas he knew he would revisit later after unlocking new talents: “That’s once I realized we had been now not simply testing mechanics. We had been truly enjoying a Castlevania sport.”

That very same humility additionally defines Evil Empire’s ambitions for the franchise. The staff’s aim was by no means to surpass landmarks comparable to Castlevania: Symphony of the Evening, however merely to contribute a brand new chapter to a sequence that has continued to evolve for practically 4 a long time.

Judging by this primary hands-on expertise and our dialog with the builders, Belmont’s Curse seems decided to do precisely that: honour Castlevania’s legacy whereas confidently forging its personal identification.

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Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse arrives on October 15 for XBOX Collection X|S and XBOX on PC.